BRAVE CREW OF BLACKS. 
17 
Again, after she had left, the Sultan requested Speke 
to take one of his ships of war and capture a slaver at 
Panganee; but this also proved a fruitless chase; and 
as we were anxious to return to the preparations for 
the march, we left the Sultan s corvette at sea, and 
proceeded homewards, at 10 a.m., in an open boat of 
ten oars — distance to Zanzibar, 40 miles. We pulled 
till 5 p.m., found the current carrying us to the Indian 
Ocean, and put in for the night on a coral isle. 
Our brave crew of blacks, the same class of men 
who subsequently accompanied us upon our expedi- 
tion, started again at four in the morning, rowing, off 
and on, till we reached home at eight that evening. 
The rowers accomplished this great feat without a 
grumble, singing the greater part of the way, though 
with nothing to cheer them for the two days but a 
few biscuits, sweetmeats, and oranges. Who can fail 
to admire such spirit ! But we have the same class of 
African, when roaming amid his native wilds free from 
all control, committing murder without scruple ; and 
an illustration of this came under our notice here. 
Dr Eoscher, a German gentleman, while exploring 
near Lake Nyassa, was murdered in 1859 by natives 
who coveted his scientific instruments. The sultan of 
the country, justly indignant, sent four men to Zanzi- 
bar to stand their trial for the murder. Two were con- 
demned, and suffered decapitation on the 23d August. 
I was present, going to the execution with the " sur- 
rung" or boatswain of the British Consulate, who 
cleared the way for me to get near the two men. They 
squatted outside the fort wall with perfect composure, 
naked from head to foot, except a waistcloth ; neither 
B 
